Rumor Mill: U.S. Cellular launching Blackberry Tour?

U.S. Cellular appears poised to launch Research In Motion's BlackBerry Tour smartphone, according to a company product page detailing the phone's basic features and specifications. If the carrier does launch the phone, it would join the likes of Tier 1 carriers Sprint Nextel and Verizon Wireless in offering RIM's latest CDMA smartphone.

Both Sprint and Verizon Wireless launched the Tour in July, and have been promoting it as one the key smartphones in their lineups.

Although U.S. Cellular has not yet made any official announcements about the Tour, the action would dovetail with the carrier's previous smartphone movements. Cellular South recently said that it would launch its first Android-powered phone, the HTC Hero, for $99, significantly less than Sprint's asking price. The Hero also is Sprint's first Android phone; the carrier began selling it yesterday for $179.99 after a $100 mail-in rebate.

A U.S. Cellular spokeswoman did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

For more:
- see this U.S. Cellular product page
- see BlackBerry Tour videos, pictures and specs

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